Improvement in galvanic trusses



M. SCHUPPERT.

Improvement in Galvanic Trussest STATES PATENT QEFICE.

MORITZ SOHPPERT, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

m n IMPROVEMENT IN GALVANIC TRUVSSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 122,917, dated J annary 23, 1872.

Be it known that I, MORITZ SCHUPPERT, of the city of New Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented a new, useful, and Improved Truss; and I hereby declare the fol- ,lowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had to the annexed drawing constituting a part of this specification, on which it is exhibited in connection with the strap which holds it in position on the body of the subject.

This invention relates to a truss wherein the pad is made galvanic, and therebycapable of transmitting an electric current to the parts of the body of the person to which it is applied. The means by which this result is accomplished are exceedingly simple, and as will be clearly understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, whereon all that pertains to my device is very clearly shown, and in which- Figure 1 is my truss as complete and ready to be applied to the subject. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of a pad wherein the electricity insulation of the frame-bars, and the construction of the back-pads.

My improved galvanic pad may be applied to frame bars of almost any truss which is now in common use, as will be perceived from the manner in which it is connected to the framebar shown on the drawing.

A shows this frame-bar, and the manner in which the pad B is secured thereto is shown by the staple-plate G and the screws a and b. The frame-bar A aforesaid is furthermore provided with back-pads D and E, the said backpad D being a conductor, while the back-pad E isa non-conductor of the electric current producedwithin the pad B aforesaid and conveyed thereto by the frame-bar A, which is insulated by any suitable non-conducting material wound thereupon. In this truss the galvanic pad B is composed principally of the hat silver, copper, or brass plate c, to which the fiat zinc plate d and the doubled or folded zinc plate d', as shown in Fig. 2 are attached, and of the egg-shaped silver, brass, or copper plate e, which is to be placed in contact with the body ofthe wearer. These two plates are united by pins f f passing through the tubular collars g g', and thereat heldin position by the nuts h h screwed upon their extremities. The collars g g aforesaid must be of some suitable non-conducting material, such as wood, glass, bone, &c. Theplates c and e are separated by the India-rubber packing i i so as to disconnect or isolate the positive plate e, which is in contact with the subject, from the negative plate c. The positive plate e aforesaid, while it may be made of brass, silver, or copper, as above stated, if not made of silver, the material of which it is made should be lined upon its interior surface with a coating of silver. Fig. 3 shows the pad, in which is placed an ordinary voltac pile, k, wherein the positive end of the voltaic pile is connected with the pad by means of the copper wire m, and the negative end of the voltaic pile is connected with the plate c aforesaid by means of the copper wire m. from the positive and negative plates c and e simply by any non-conducting agent, such as India rubber, bladder-skin, or any other suitable material.

The pad B, when constructed as above described, must now be filled with some liquid or mixture, either of water and salt or of sulphuric acid, or of any other suitable agent necessary, in combination with the zinc and silver, to produce the galvanic current, which is conveyed from the said pad B by means of the isolated frame-bar A to the back-pad D aforesaid, and thence to and through the body of the wearer, whereby the circuit is oompleteand the results sought to be attained are effectually and successfully' accomplished.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is the following claim:

A galvanic truss-pad, constructed substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

MORITZ SOHUPPERT.

Witnesses:

H. N. JENKINS, L. J OLMsTEAD.

The voltaic pile 7c is isolated 

